Present the good or the great?

March 6, 2007 9:33 AM

PresentationFilter: One pitch. Two concepts. A great one and a good one. Which one do we lead with?

So we have to pitch our ideas to our client today for a fairly major ad campaign. One idea is huge and great and works really well. The other is exactly what they asked for and is the 'safe' solution.

Do we lead with the amazing one and hope the safe one looks like less? Or do we start with the safe one so that when we get to the big (great) campaign it blows their doors off?

posted by ImJustRick to Work & Money (21 answers total)

Always save presentation best for last.
posted by artdrectr at 9:41 AM on March 6, 2007 [1 favorite]

I'd vote with starting with the one that is what they asked for--since that's what they want to see. That way they won't sit through your lead-off with the great idea thinking, "What is this? This isn't what we wanted." Instead, they can relax after seeing the first concept and then be wowed by yours.
posted by divka at 9:47 AM on March 6, 2007

Ideally, the second pitch shouldn't be vastly different than the first pitch, right? I mean, even though I personally know people often ask for the wrong things, they're the ones paying for it, so both pitches should reflect in some way what they actually want.

If so, you should present the safe pitch first, and the second one as the safe pitch with improvements.

If you can't do that, then they may not be as wowed with your out-of-the-box pitch if it doesn't touch on what they have said they want.

Also, it sounds like you want them to choose your "big" pitch no matter what. Don't be surprised if they decide to go with the safe version. Your goal is to create a really cool advertising campaign that wins you praise and accolade from your peers in the advertising business; their goal is to actually sell their product or service. And although some major companies do indeed coast on radical ad campaigns, most companies have found that the safer campaigns actually sell more products even if they're far more retarded.

I can't recall the specifics, but there was some campaign where two different ad campaigns were run for the same product. One had a more cutting edge feel, the other one had customers clipping out mini-coupons from a TV Guide. Guess which method sold more products?
posted by Deathalicious at 9:47 AM on March 6, 2007

Yeah, best for last. If you go in with the great idea first, the 'play it safe' brigade will see the 'safe' idea and view it much as a drowning man would view a beach. Start in the shallow end and then take them out swimming, as it were.

Aaaaand that's quite enough time with the metaphor stick for you today young man.
posted by Happy Dave at 9:48 AM on March 6, 2007

I've had things pitched to me both ways. I think the agency tried the "lead with the best" in a way to hope the client falls in love with it and never asks to see the other concepts. That never worked where I've worked.

I agree with artdrectr, showing the best one last is better. Don't undersell the first one, because that might be the one the client likes.
posted by birdherder at 9:50 AM on March 6, 2007

I'll vote for tame first, wow last. Although it can only be called a matter of opinion, my reasoning is this: first, my instinct for presentation is don't end on a low note. Second, I think you can argue a secondary narrative to this presentation order: leading with what they asked for says look, we take your input seriously, and your first priority was to make sure you delivered what they ask for. But because you have an overarching commitment to deliver the best campaign possible, you follow up with the cutting edge, what you in your best judgment think would be the better concept. In essence, the underlying narrative "this is fine, but think about this!" flies better with me than "This is awesome! Oh and here's your stupid idea" In the end, though, I think order and even how much you try to sell your preferred idea will have a minimal effect - if they are entrenched in conservatism they will stick with their bland concept, if they are open to risk (and if your idea is as good as you think) they will go for it.
posted by nanojath at 9:53 AM on March 6, 2007

Obviously you give them what they want first. Then say "We also did a little extra-credit and think you might like this."
posted by DU at 10:18 AM on March 6, 2007

Most definitely lead with the safe and what they asked for. Then pull out the extra credit.

Just don't feel bad when they pick the safe option they asked for, especially if it's a committee decision.
posted by wubbie at 10:39 AM on March 6, 2007

(oh, and don't oversell your better idea at the expense of the safe one. If it's as good as you say it is, they will recognize and appreciate its merits on its own. You don't want to make them feel dumb if they have to pick the safe one, which they may have to, for political reasons outside of your/their control.)
posted by wubbie at 10:43 AM on March 6, 2007

lead with the great one.

the classic mistake bands with one good song make is saving it for the end of the concert, thinking it will be "climactic." In reality, everyone sits on their hands waiting, and by the time they finally play the hit, people barely care anymore.

But if they had played the hit right off the bat, it would've got the crowd excited and on their side, and then their other songs might have actually stood a chance of being received well.
posted by drjimmy11 at 11:08 AM on March 6, 2007

But if they had played the hit right off the bat, it would've got the crowd excited and on their side, and then their other songs might have actually stood a chance of being received well.

That is actually an argument to lead with the safe one. The 'hit' is the one the audience expects/is waiting to hear. What the client expects/is waiting to see is the one that's exactly what they asked for.
posted by juv3nal at 11:26 AM on March 6, 2007

I suppose the analogy didn't entirely work, and business is not a rock concert.

But my point was, wow them right off the bat with the best thing you've got. Then whatever comes after that has a great chance to succeed, because you've already got them excited.
posted by drjimmy11 at 11:31 AM on March 6, 2007

Seconding Deathalicious' "safe idea with improvements" -- if you can make it sound like you developed this first idea, learned something from it (or had some spark from it) that led you to your second idea, the second idea will both sound like an outgrowth of the first (which will make the clients happy, since they see where their original request led) and an improvement on it, since it takes these learnings. Please let us know how the presentation goes!
posted by mikeyk at 11:50 AM on March 6, 2007

Lead with the one you want them to choose. Clients tend to fixate on the first solution they see. The thing they will most remember later will be the first thing you hit them with.
posted by BorgLove at 12:27 PM on March 6, 2007

Tell you client you have two great ideas. Don't judge (to your client anyway) that one is better than the other. Don't call your idea an "improved" version of theirs. Just lay them both out there and let the client decide. If your idea really is great, the choice will be obvious.

That said, I'd put the flashy one last. Draw them in using the concept based on what they asked for, then once they are comfortable and you have their attention, you can wow them with the great idea.
posted by ldenneau at 1:11 PM on March 6, 2007

Agree with best for last.

But, having been client side, it is frustrating when the agency pitches something they clearly don't like. Once or twice when I've seen it chosen, sometimes for reasons the agency can't or doesn't know, the team then derides the concept...

Please make the "safe" option an acceptable choice, if not the preferred one.
posted by mozhet at 1:51 PM on March 6, 2007

I work in advertising as a creative for huge multinational. The way we operate is never to present anything we don't want to run. So if you think one campaign is great and you're afraid they'll go for the safe version, don't present it. Just present the great one. If they don't see it as an option, they can't choose it, right? You can always show them the other one later. FWIW I can almost guarantee you they'll choose the safe one (years of unfortunate client experience talking) and you'll be kicking yourself later. Let us know how it goes, I'm interested. Go kick some ass!
posted by Jubey at 6:42 PM on March 6, 2007

Jubey is absolutely right. They will choose the safe one. Whether it's right out wrong on thier part, it doesnt sound like this client is interested in "taking a chance". If the client spelled out to you what they are looking for, then they are not interested in "creative". They want you to interpret their idea and make it real. They want to be the CD and you are just a tool for them.

Not "tool" in the coloquial sence, but "tool" in how an artist uses a pencil. They think they are the creative ones and you just place their "creativity" into the desired medium.

Sometimes you must take on these type of clients, but I generally try to steer clear of them. They are usually the ones who insist on the most changes during production.

Good luck! I hope you kick ass!

P.S. You can try to sell the "wow" idea to another client. Go out and find one.
posted by sandra_s at 7:16 PM on March 6, 2007

ALWAYS START STRONG.
you get every job in the first 3 minutes.
posted by twistofrhyme at 3:26 PM on March 7, 2007

In my experience this is certainly not true. While in a presentation, clients can tell you that they love the work, and be very gungo ho, to the point that you think you've got it in the bag. Then they'll go back to their office/wife/sit on it over the weekend and come back after saying they hate it and they want completely new work. Cut to creative going WTF?? You don't just have to sell people within the presentation, it has to sell with you in absentia after they leave with it under their arm. That's why you only give them the good one, because the client will keep looking at it when you're not there, and get other opinions with which to be swayed by.
posted by Jubey at 8:39 PM on March 7, 2007

Response by poster: UPDATE For those who care:

We presented both, lead with the strong one. As we knew they would (and many of you suggested) they chose the safe one.

Fair enough - it's still pretty good. And yes, that other one is going into our back pockets for another client!

Cheers all
posted by ImJustRick at 9:52 AM on March 8, 2007